Journalists

Cosplayer Spotlight: Jennifer Wicks

Welcome back to another Cosplayer Spotlight! This time around we feature Jennifer Wicks, a 24 year old from Upstate, NY!

COMIC ATTACK: Start out by telling us how you got into comics. What was the first comic book you ever read? How about owned?

JENNIFER WICKS: I had read comics quite frequently when I was younger (mostly Sonic the Hedgehog…!), but in my teenage years, I had gone back into video gaming, mostly. About three years ago, I attended Free Comic Book day in May, and it rekindled my interest. I picked up several works from Aspen Comics and quickly fell in love again.

CA: How did you discover cosplay, and what made you want to get into it on a serious level?

JW: In high school, I heard that a local convention was approaching. Several friends and I decided to put together a Final Fantasy VII group for fun. We weren’t very good, and none of us could sew at that point, but we had a great time and really enjoyed cosplaying in general. We were hooked.

CA: Who was the first character you cosplayed as? Whom have you portrayed since?

JW: Currently, my big project is from a Taiwanese puppet drama called “Pili”. I’m making the main character; Su Huanzhen, the White Lotus. The costumes in the series are dramatic, beautiful and visually striking…not to mention a challenge!

CA: Which costume(s) are you most proud of?

JW:I particularly like my costume of Vayne Solidor from Final Fantasy XII, though it was a bit of a pain to wear! The costume required a lot of different mediums (clay, thermoplastic, leather) and was certainly an interesting challenge.

Vayne Solidor

CA: Can you tell us the Comic Con’s you’ve attended in costume? Plan on doing any more this year?

JW: For comic-specific conventions, I’ve been to New York Comic Con twice and Albany Comic Con a few times. Recently, I’ve shifted away from anime conventions and I’m trying to attend more multi-genre ones. I just went to the fall show of Albany Comic Con, so I am done for 2010! There is always next year, though!

CA: Do you make all of your costumes? If so, how long do they take to complete? If not, where do you obtain them?

JW:I do make all of my cosplay costumes. They usually take about a month or two, depending on the difficulty. I tend to get impatient if they take longer than that.

CA: What’s the average cost to make a desirable costume?

JW: I try to keep them around $200, but if it requires contact lenses or special materials, the cost can get a bit higher.

CA: Have you ever met any of the creators whose character’s you were cosplaying as in person? What was their reaction(s)?

JW: Yes! Nelson Blake II and Ron Marz met up with me when I was wearing Magdalena. Nelson and I chatted about the costume itself, and Ron is always a blast to talk to. It was amazing to get such a positive response from the people behind the character!

CA: What comics do you currently read? What are some of your all time favorites?

JW: Right now I am catching up on “The Darkness” and continuously enjoying “Soulfire.” Those are two of my favorites, along with “Fathom”, “Awakening”, “Witchblade” and more recently, “Artifacts”.

CA: Who are your top characters?

JW: In regards to comics, I adore Malikai from “Soulfire”, Patience, The Magdalena and Jackie Estacado from “The Darkness”.

CA: In your experience, how do you feel cosplay is accepted by comic book fans?

JW:I think people are always excited to see a well-executed costume, no matter what genre it is from…I know I always am! The lines are so blurred between what belongs exclusively to what type of media now, that I think the sense of community has grown a lot. You see a lot of anime cospalyers at comic cons, and vice-versa.

CA: Have you ever had any awkward encounters while in costume with any fanboys or girls?

JW:On occasion! I try to be as friendly as possible, but sometimes people can get a bit too personal!

CA: On the contrary, tell us some of your most memorable cosplay moments.

JW: I was fortunate enough to win “Best in Show” for a skit at Anime Boston 2007 with a group of friends and my sister. We had a great time! Nowadays, any time I get to meet someone new is a memorable moment.

CA: What do you do in “real life”?

JW:I work for a university in the Environmental, Health and Safety department. I mostly deal with chemicals, chemical wastes, biohazards and other nasties.

CA: How is your passion for cosplay received by your family, friends, and co-workers?

JW: I’ve always been “geeky”, so I don’t think they’re too surprised! Everyone has been supportive, and I even took my dad to a Renaissance Faire for his birthday this fall; and he loved it!

CA: According to your Facebook page, you seem to have a passion for firearms. Can you expand on this a bit?

JW: “Passion” is certainly the right word! I have been into sport shooting for a little while now; specifically trap and skeet. I think gun owners are stereotyped pretty badly, and I try to get friends who are curious about sport shooting involved. It’s a great hobby full of really personable and knowledgeable people.

CA: What are some of your other interests and hobbies?

JW: I’ve always been a big fan of video games and I spend a good portion of my free time playing them. On the other hand, I try to stay healthy and active with bellydance, and I also try to stay active with music.

CA: Do you have a fanpage or website?

JW: I have a DeviantArt gallery (shinobihime.deviantart.com) where I pose up costumes when they are completed. I also waste time on Twitter (ArgentSouled).

CA: Any parting words about cosplay or comics in general?

JW: I’ve done many panels on cosplay, and I always have one message; nothing is impossible! Cosplay is a great, rewarding, positive hobby that gets you out and about meeting people and doing great things. The skills you pick up will stay with you for life; keep at it!